Phlox plant named ‘Duephowi’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Duephowi’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and large white-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Phlox maculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEPHOWI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phloxplant, botanically known as Phlox maculata and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Duephowi’.

The new Phlox plant is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new compact Phlox plants with unique and attractiveflower color.

The new Phlox plant originated from an open-pollination in Rheinberg,Germany in July, 2006 of a proprietary selection of Phlox maculataidentified as code number PH-05-0110-001, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Phlox maculata as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Phlox plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of thestated open-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment inRheinberg, Germany in May, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox plant by cuttings in a controlledenvironment in Rheinberg, Germany since May, 2009 has shown that theunique features of this new Phlox plant are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phlox plant have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhatwith variations in environmental conditions such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Duephowi’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Duephowi’ as a new and distinct Phlox plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of the female parentselection. Plants of the new Phlox differ primarily from plants of thefemale parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox are more compact than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Phlox are more freely branching than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Phlox and the female parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection        have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Phlox can be compared to plants of the Phlox‘PowerPhlox White Improved’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons,plants of the new Phlox and ‘PowerPhlox White Improved’ differed in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phlox were more compact than plants of        ‘PowerPhlox White Improved’.    -   2. Plants of the new Phlox had larger flowers than plants of        ‘PowerPhlox White Improved’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Phlox plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Phlox plant. The photograph is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘Duephowi’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the summer in 10.5-cm containersin a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under commercialpractice. During the production of the plants, day and nighttemperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plantswere pinched one time three weeks after planting and were 13 weeks oldwhen the photograph and description were taken. In the followingdescription, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox maculata ‘Duephowi’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Phlox            maculata identified as code number PH-05-0110-001, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Phlox            maculata, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at            temperatures or about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, summer.—About three weeks at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About four weeks at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Compact, upright and outwardly            spreading plant habit; broad inverted triangle; low to            moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit            with about five main laterals developing each with numerous            secondary laterals; relatively short internodes; dense and            bushy plant habit.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 31 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Internode length: About 3 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 3.1 cm.        -   Width.—About 7 mm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Apiculate.        -   Base.—Truncate to obtuse.        -   Margin.—Finely serrate.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 146A; venation, close to 144B. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,            close to 144C.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper            surface: Close to 144B. Color, lower surface: Close to 144C.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rotate and salverform flowers            arranged in small panicles with about two flowers each;            flowers face mostly upright; freely flowering habit with            about 130 flower buds and flowers developing per plant.        -   Fragrance.—Moderately fragrant; sweet, pleasant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from summer            to late summer in Germany; plants begin flowering about six            weeks after planting.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about three to four            days on the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Shape: Narrowly obovate. Color: Close to 1D.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4.2 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 2.6 cm.        -   Flower depth.—About 1.4 cm.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: Five in a single whorl; petals            fused at the base into a narrow tube. Length: About 1.1 cm.            Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Spatulate. Apex: Rounded.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Developing petals, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 1D. Fully expanded petals, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 155C; color becoming closer to 1D            with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement per flower: Five in a single            whorl, fused towards the base into a slender tube. Length:            About 7 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:            Narrowly apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 146B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 7.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Angle: Upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to 144C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Angle: About 30° from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five. Filament length: About 9 mm. Filament color: Close to            157B. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm.            Anther color: Close to 14A. Pollen amount: Abundant. Pollen            color: Close to 14A. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One.            Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma            color: Close to 6B and 150B. Style length: About 4 mm. Style            color: Close to 144D. Ovary color: Close to 144A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Phlox have not been noted    to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Phlox.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to    tolerate temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 40° C.

1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Duephowi’ as illustrated anddescribed.